


The Beauty of Ashes

by CoverFireGoddess880 (orphan_account)



Series: Older Gladnoct Trapped in Lucis [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Awkward Confession, Emotional Constipation, Endgame Spoilers!, Friends to Lovers, Heavy Angst, M/M, Mentions of Rape, Mpreg, One-Sided Attraction, Rape Aftermath, Unresolved Emotional Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-05
Updated: 2018-04-05
Packaged: 2019-04-18 18:07:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14218773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/CoverFireGoddess880
Summary: From fire, the ashes of destruction lie in wait. From the ashes, a new life can begin with a single caress of the ever-changing wind...





	The Beauty of Ashes

**Author's Note:**

> So, I notice older Noctis holds his stomach a lot when standing still, and I went and made this an mpreg just because I hold so much love for pregnant Noctis!  
> Younger Noctis stands like a pregnant lady, too, lol! Not sure if any of y'all thought about his stance that way... :D  
> So, enjoy!

Gladio holds Noctis’s hand firmly, helping him step over a moderately large chunk of housing rubble. Watching every movement carefully, his eyes never leave the ground his king is about to step on, gaze ever focused on each foot as it comes down. “You doin’ okay?”

 Noctis stumbles a little, foot slipping on a steep edge of a rock. “Yeah,” he says unsteadily, trying to put all his focus into staying upright. “Been awhile since I’ve stepped on something other than level flooring.”

 He’s listening, but only half of what Noctis said was comprehended. “Been ten years…,” he says in response, tightening his grip on his king’s hand. Their palms are hot and sweaty, but he wouldn’t let go unless Noctis asked him to. And the same was understood in the other’s mind. “Ten years since you’ve been outside the city.”

 “There’s so much to see,” Noctis says expectantly, jumping off the rubble and walking close beside his shield again. He’s so awfully close that they’re almost touching shoulders. “And even though we’ve come here before, I still wanna see everything all over again.”

 “Well, there’s one thing you haven’t seen.”

 “What? Where?” His curious tone has always entranced the older man, that innocent cock of his head easily the sweetest thing he’s ever witnessed.

 “Come over here,” he nods in the direction, leading him past the shackled ruins of Keycatrich Trench. 

 The growing shadows of an early sunset make these faded, crumbling buildings seem eerie, like there’s an old haunt lurking just beneath the curtain of dark waltzing through the hollow spaces. And if it weren’t for the knowledge of the True King’s sacrifice, Gladio would be certain the world was once again plunging into Eternal Night.

 Sacrifice… Yes, Noctis was sacrificed. Yet, here he is, walking, breathing, holding Gladio’s hand…  _ Living. _

__ He shook his head.

 No, it wasn’t the Eternal Night, just daylight savings coming to an end. But the weather in Leide was mild all year round, so maybe it was just that he still hadn’t grown accustomed to the ever-changing realm of time.

 He brings him to the sight of an old park where in ancient times, must have been brimming with frilly old widows and wealthy, well-to-do old goats, strutting along well-paved roads in their parasols and wide-brimmed hats.

 But now, it’s only a shell of its former glory - literally. When Noctis shuffled his feet along the dirt, bullet shells flipped out of the creases of hidden rubble. They both wondered what Keycatrich looked like back in the day.

 Even if it were as wonderful a paradise as people used to say, Gladio shrugged inside and figured it probably wasn’t anywhere close to the beauty of the Crown City.

 “Noct,” Gladio points, and Noctis looks up. “Look.”

 What Noctis sees is altogether reassuring, awe-inspiring, and yet kind of horrifying, too. He sucks in a sharp breath, but it hadn’t surfaced out of fear or sadness; rather, it spells out for Gladio that Noctis most likely wasn’t ready to come out here.

 Amongst the broken rubble and crumbling infrastructures, an ages-old erected statue of the Founder King stands vigil over it all. His hands cradle the hilt of his sword, the Blade of the Mystic; a fitting name for so great a man to ever walk this earth. For one so strong, his statue appears frail, like if so much as a feather landed on his shoulder, he would crumble and keen to the very wind itself.

 Noctis stares into his stony face, blued gaze focused on his marbly eyes. “The Founder King…?”

 Gladio takes a breath and squeezes Noctis’s hand gently. He’s always had to be more careful when it came to the prince. It used to seem like he was born fragile… He would have no trouble believing that now. “He still watches over this place,” he says, and the way Noctis is breathing, he thinks he’s said something wrong. “...like he’s waiting for something to happen.”

 Noctis holds his hand over his abdomen, invisibly palming at something that’s clearly visible if Gladio looked hard enough. He shifts his weight from one foot to the other, and then looks up at his shield. “He’s a lot like you.”

 Gladio doesn’t look down at him. He knows he’s not smiling. “I’m not that patient,” he snorts, but it falls flat; it’s not laughter. “If that’s what you wanted, you shoulda brought Iggy.” His thick brows furrow deeper when his king nods. He didn’t expect he’d agree with him.

 “I already asked him,” Noctis says, “and Prompto. You were the only one left I could ask. Well, besides those strangers at the outpost…”

 Gladio felt like the bottom of a cereal box after the free toy was fought over and all the marshmallows disappeared from the cardboard. He’d been displaced in a relationship before, but never  _ replaced. _ “I had enough time set aside for you. It’s no big deal.” He had hoped to sound somewhat intimidating in the least, just to get even. But when Noctis lets go of his hand, he realizes he just made a colossal mistake.

 “Thanks…” He mumbles sarcastically as he walks up to the statue and places a hand on it, fingers caressing the fine, careful sculpting.

 Gladio’s gaze follows Noctis’s hand as it slides down the robes of the statue and then falls limply down at his side again. His face softens, and he begins walking toward his king until Noctis sighs and drops his head.

 “I’m tired…”

 Gladio looks into the sky as the sun vanishes below the high canyon walls, etching bluish darkness against the horizon. It’s grown colder, and the shadows have stretched further. He pinches the bridge of his nose, scrunching his face. “I’ll set up camp.”

 

 ~~~

 Noctis awakes with a hiss to a dull pain in his hip and prods at it, rubbing it in the hopes it will fade. But when it doesn’t, he looks beside himself at Gladio’s peaceful, sleeping form and frowns. 

 His shield is finally staying on his side of the tent. 

 Slowly, he crawls out of the tent and leaves Gladio the solitude and yet aching  _ loneliness _ of sleeping alone.

 Gladio turns over, lightly snoring. He expects to throw an arm over the warm, soft body next to him, but his limb only hits the solid polyester floor. It’s still warm, so that’s good, but he wonders where Noctis might’ve gotten to.

 His eyes slowly open to the half-closed slit of the tent flap. A light, cool breeze flitters through the slit and Gladio shivers; both from the cold and the lack of someone beside him.

 Even in the wild, he never minded sleeping alone, gaining great joy from the peace it brought him. But once the Eternal Night set in, he learned to hate the quiet. 

 One should never be left to their thoughts for so long.

 Begrudging his enormous weight, Gladio clambers out of the tent and stretches his back at the rocky ledge they are perched on. He glances around and spots Noctis not too far off, shoulders hunched, standing on the other side as he turns a rock over and over in his hands. He steps quietly over to him.

 Noctis winces at his shield’s heavy footsteps. He would really rather not talk right now. “What are you doing up?”

 It sounds accusatory, but Gladio pads closer to his smaller form anyway. “I was cold,” he lies.

 “Riiiiight, like I’m gonna believe that.” Noctis shakes his head. “Giant, walking furnaces like you don’t get cold.”

 “So, I have a lower metabolism since hitting thirty. What’s your excuse?”

 Noctis looks up and hangs his head back. “Don’t have one. Just couldn’t sleep.” His face contorts in annoyance when Gladio sniggers at his words.

 “You? Not able to sleep? Now, THAT’S something you don’t hear everyday.”

 “At least I have a reason!” Noctis turns and glares at him. “You think I  _ like  _ feeling nauseous? That I  _ like  _ being woken up by a stabbing pain in my side?”

 Gladio steps back an inch. “No. No, I don’t,” he replies softly. “But you’ve been such an ass lately, I don’t know what’s hormones and what's really  _ you _ .”

 Noctis throws the rock and it lands in the dirt. He was hoping for at least some kind of collision as his anger flares inside. “Why don’t you just ask me?”

 Gladio lowers his head and turns away. He kicks at the loose dirt and watches as some pebbles jump off the ledge. His somber honeyed eyes avoid Noctis at all costs. “How do I know I’m gonna get the truth?”

 “‘How do you know you’re gonna get the truth’...” Noctis repeats scornfully. “I dunno, I’ve always had to spill my guts to you and now you won’t let me hear anything from your side? I’m the only person you have  _ never _ confessed anything to, Gladio. How do you think that makes me feel?”

 “You wanna hear from my side? You really wanna hear a confession? A real, truthful, damned piece of my heart?”

 Noctis nods without leaving his eyes. “Yeah, I do. A piece of the ugly ones, please.”

 Gladio comes forward and reaches out to touch Noctis, but the king flinches away. He drops his hands and flexes them, balling them into fists, clenching hard. “I love you, Noctis.”

 Noctis lets out a whiny breath, trembling slightly. “What?” He cocks his head, wondering what the hell his shield means by saying this.

 “I’ve always loved you, Noct. You mean everything to me, and it doesn’t matter that you’ve been touched and violated in places I wish I could have made love to you in first... I’ll always be here for you, and I’ll always love you.” He reaches to touch him again, and when Noctis backs away again, he lunges for him. He grabs his arm and pulls him close. “Noct.”

 Noctis resists his grip, yanking gently. “Gladio, stop. Stop it.”

 “I just wanna hold you,” he says, desperate to touch his face. His hand has never been enough. “Please, Noct, I-”

 “No! Stop, please!” Noctis yanks his arm out of Gladio’s loosened grip and turns back to the mess of a field ravaged by the fires of war, stars twinkling above them. He cups his tiny belly swell and shuts his eyes. “This… This can’t be, Gladio, you know it can’t,” he says, his voice bordering a teary breakdown. “E-even if it could, there’s no way it would ever work…”

 “I could make it work,” Gladio urges, holding his arms out. “Really, I could. I’ll take care of you, Noct, and the baby, I promise. I’ll do everything I can!”

 Noctis says nothing else as he glances down at his growing bump, feeling so undeserving of his shield’s confession. Of his  _ love _ .

 Gladio can’t stand how Noctis won’t even let him step too close. He realizes it’s most likely because Noctis is still reeling from his unfortunate ordeal, but it doesn’t feel right. He should be beside him, holding him in his arms, comforting him. Noctis would still push him away, but even if he could just place his hand on his shoulder, he’d be somewhat satisfied. He calls out to him again, “Noct.”

 But Noctis doesn’t respond, nor does he move.

 As his eyes roam over his king’s sullen form, he notices such little details about his body, but they’re changed enough to make a difference in Noctis’s appearance. He sees his hips have grown a little higher than before, his shadowy hair is flowing just a touch off his shoulders, and he stands like he’s carrying a barrel on his front; the big, black shirt he wears doesn’t help to hide how much girth he holds now when it flows in the breeze.

 He doesn’t really care how big Noctis gets. He thinks he’s beautiful, and nothing in the world could ever change his opinion. Save for his hips...

 Gladio ogles his soft angled features as perfect love handles.

 But he knows that it’s the exact opposite of what Noctis is thinking. He probably thinks he looks horrendous; he didn’t ask for this, after all.

 He tries to avoid it, but when he does glance down at his swelling belly, Noctis feels ashamed. What use was it trying to tell himself it wasn’t his fault, when all along, everyone else set out to humiliate him? 

 When they first returned to the hunter’s outpost here in Leide, he certainly heard the sneers, the grunts of disgust, and randomly, caught wind of a cat-call. Who the hell would find him attractive? Especially now that he was carrying around a bastard child, conceived in violence?

 Ignis assured him they were as mindless as they were senseless, and that these hunters needed their sympathy, not their anger.

 Prompto told him to ignore them, and to think about something that makes him happy.

 Gladio… Gladio hadn’t said anything, but he had stepped in front of them, or walked ahead in Noctis’s defense in case someone had a mind to cause harm to his king. 

 Noctis knows his faithful shield wouldn’t let anyone hurt him.

 And now, Gladio has confessed to him that he loves him.  _ Loves  _ him! Sure, they were always the best of friends and got along well enough; but lovers? Partners?  _ Boyfriends _ ? Something…  _ more _ ? It was a trifle too much, and it made Noctis’s head ache something awful.

 Suddenly, he feels huge arms snake around his waist and he gasps. Although he knows exactly who it is, the night of that horrific event comes flooding back into his mind and he can’t help but writhe and struggle against him. He’s terrified. “Gladio?” He’s breathing hard, almost constricting himself with every breath. “Gladio, stop. Stop - get off. Get off!”

 “Noct,” Gladio says, holding him tight as he rests his chin on his head. “Noct, breathe.  _ Breathe _ …” He’s relieved as Noctis’s body rises and falls with deep, steady breathing, and feels his body start to relax in his arms. “I just wanna hold you, Noct…” He whispers, caressing the king’s tiny four month swell. “I’m not gonna hurt you, you know me. It’s  _ me, _ Gladio. Remember? You’re safe, alright? Relax…”

 Noctis eventually melts in his arms and leans into his hold, tossing his head back into Gladio’s shoulder. “Gladio,” he chokes on a soft cry. “Why?”

 Gladio has no answers. He presses a kiss to the crook of Noctis’s neck, and leaves his mouth there. He closes his eyes as Noctis reaches up and tenderly caresses his coarse, scruffy face. “I love you,” he confesses again, and kisses the stubbled beginnings of Noctis’s beard along his throat. “I love you. I didn’t think it was possible, but I love you more than ever, Noct… I just…” He groans, sucking on the soft skin of his crook and leaving a love bite. He doesn’t regret breaking Noctis’s virgin, white skin, reassuring himself that he needs such intimacy to feel close to Noctis. Even if it means  _ hurting _ him.

 Noctis shivers from the hot, husky breaths on his flesh, and relishes with a soft moan the comforting warmth of Gladio’s strong arms curled around his body. “Just talk, Gladio… Tell me how you feel…” Then he feels hot wetness trickling down his shoulder, and he can’t find any reason to deny how bloated his affection for his shield is. It’s overwhelming, and now it seems as though Gladio’s tears are serving as a baptism to joining him in mutual love.

 “I can’t tell you,” he says, and cranes his neck to get a good glimpse of his king’s precious, scruffy face. “I’ve gotta  _ show _ you, Noct.”

 Noctis nods in understanding at those warm, beautiful amber eyes and drops his head as Gladio scoops him up, letting himself be carried back into the tent.

 

 ~~~

 Noctis cards both hands shakily through Gladio’s thick, silky hair and gazes down lovingly at the man lying over his bare thighs with broad arms resting on both sides of his hips; he greatly appreciates how gentle and respectful he was during their sex.

 From his past experience, Noctis had feared it would be painful and feel so wrong, but he trusted Gladio. He trusted those hands, that mouth, and this body with his life, who was he to doubt the very man charged with his protection?

 He was so  _ right _ to trust him; and though he knows he’ll be sore as hell tomorrow, he’s so… exhausted right now, but he’s also content.

 Gladio sits there, fingers softly caressing his king’s naked hips as he stares at virtually nothing. He’s tired, but he doesn’t want to rob himself of this moment; the moment he’d long been dreaming of. He nuzzles into Noctis’s baby bump and tries to keep himself from crying. He sniffs a few times, and then presses light kisses to Noctis’s waist before settling his cheek flush against his thighs again.

 Noctis shifts slightly, having his back pressed against the hard wall of the cliff even inside the tent was making his whole body ache. He whines softly and tries to move his legs, but Gladio has them pinned to floor. “You awake?” Noctis asks, brushing Gladio’s hair back. Gladio groans at the caress.

 “Barely,” he murmurs, pressing kisses up Noctis’s thigh and up to his waist, lifting his shirt up to kiss his baby bump, but flinches back when Noctis jumps at his roaming, giant hands. “Sorry…”

 Noctis looks down at him and actually smiles for the first time since they’ve been here. “Gladio,” he hangs his mouth open like he’s going to say more, but then shuts it. He’s a little nervous to speak lying half naked in front of Gladio, in spite of the fact that they just had sex, but that was when his hormones were usurping his brain. Now he has to be himself again.

 Gladio rests his chin on his thigh and gazes up lovingly into those deep blue eyes. “Go ahead, Noct. What were you gonna say?”

 He takes a deep breath and caresses his belly. “Can we, um… Is it okay to be, together? Like, y’know…”

 Gladio rubs over Noctis’s belly and scoots closer. “I think so,” he whispers, “I mean, what’s wrong with it? If we both love each other, then-”

 “But I don’t know if I ‘love’ you.” He catches all of Gladio’s attention as soon as those words leave him. “I mean, we go from being just friends, to you telling me you love me, and then we end up having sex and…” He lets out a long sigh and plays a little with Gladio’s hair before he speaks again. “...and it’s just a lot. Maybe too much. I dunno, y’know what I’m saying?”

 Gladio nods.

 “I just don’t want to start something” he runs a hand through his hair, “and then not have the guts to follow through with it.” He swallows a few times. “I also have to think about the baby, and I don’t even know if I wanna keep it! And then what are we gonna do about-”

 Gladio leans up and kisses him on the lips, softly bringing Noctis’s chin down. When they part, Gladio quickly sweeps his tongue across Noctis’s lips before pulling away. “Wanna know what I think?”

 “Mm?” Noctis’s voice is higher than usual, and he’s blushing.

 “One,” he pecks his lips. “I think you talk too much. Two,” he kisses him again, but deeper and more passionate than before as he sits up on his knees. “We can start over, Noct,” he says, straddling Noctis’s thighs. “We can be anything we wanna be. No one’s chasing us, no one’s expecting duty and loyalty from us… Fuck, no one’s here but  _ us _ .”

 Noctis stares into his eyes and sees so much understanding, so much wisdom that it’s a bit hard to refuse him. Well, that was the reason why he was bare from the waist down to begin with.

 “The real question is, Noct,” he whispers, cupping his face and thumbing his scruff. “Do  _ you _ feel that you can go farther with  _ me _ ?”

 “Gladio,” Noctis sighs, shaking his head, but Gladio brings him back to look him in the eye.

 “Do you love me, Noct?”

 He bites his bottom lip. “I’ve always  _ liked  _ you, but…”

 “‘But’?”

 Noctis suddenly kisses  _ him _ , longingly and desperately, like he’s been starved of love for years and he’s just now getting the sweetest taste of what real love feels like. Their tongues meet and he’s not at all shy about it, letting Gladio do all the work by pushing and curling possessively around his tongue. He breaks with a soft moan, slowly opening his eyes just to savor it. “I never thought loving you could feel this good,” Noctis laughs, hugging Gladio around the neck.

 Gladio chuckles and holds him tight. “There’s more to come, too… if you want it.”

 Noctis pulls back and his expression is one of surprise as he glances down at his belly, hand cupping a soft, poking sensation. 

 Gladio eyes him with great concern, holding his shoulders. “Noct? Noct, what is it?”

 Then he’s smiling softly, his whole face alight with pure joy. “I... think I just felt the baby kick for the first time,” he says, and Gladio just stares at him. “I think it likes you.”

 Gladio all of a sudden breaks into laughter, heartfelt and genuine. He wonders where this came from, but frankly, he really could care less right now. Noctis is happy, and  _ he _ couldn’t be happier. As his laughter dies down, he finds himself smiling in return. “I hope so, ‘cause I’m gonna be taking care of its momma…” He snaps back up to Noctis. “If that’s what you want…?”

 Noctis feels his baby’s light kicks again and leans his head in to rest against Gladio’s chest. “Yes,” he murmurs, equal parts fairly hesitant and absolutely certain. “Yes, I  _ do  _ want this. I want you - I want  _ us _ , Gladio. If I can keep you, I… I want to.” 

__ “And I wanna keep you, Noct. Forever, and I mean that.” He smooths down Noctis’s soft hair and gives him a kiss.

__ “Shit… I never thought I’d hear myself say that to a  _ guy - _ let alone you.”

 “It’s alright, baby,” Gladio says, patting Noctis’s baby bump. “People change, but it’s not always a bad thing.”

 Noctis hums. “Mm, I hope you can keep up with how often I change.”

 Gladio lays back on the floor and brings Noctis with him, turning them over onto their sides, and then he gets up and crawls over him. He leans down to kiss him, but Noctis puts his hand on his chest to stop him.

 “I never…” He pauses and lets out a breath,  gazing into both of Gladio’s wonderfully dark, copper eyes. “I sort of… always believed that, when the end came, and I had to make a choice… I always knew that, you’d be there for me. No matter what happened to this world or me, you’d be there, waiting… waiting for me to, to return... to spend the rest of my days with you. And I…” He tears up, but wipes them away. He breathes sharply and brings Gladio’s hand down with his to rest on his baby bump. He smirks sheepishly at him, that familiar cock of his head Gladio softens at and smiles. “And I know now that, after I make this one last choice, you’ll stay with me for a long time.”

 Gladio’s own eyes fill with tears. “Of course,” he says, voice cracking. “You’re the sole reason I’m here on this earth.” He kisses him once more, lovingly, slowly leaning down closer to his body. “We have the freedom to start over, Noct,” he whispers softly against his lips, “and we have all the time in the world.”

**Author's Note:**

> I love how they added the Founder King's statue like that!! I honestly had no idea they did, so I'm happy I went back there! One of my favorite places in the whole game :)
> 
> That glitch is the best thing that's ever happened to me, btw! (:-D Older Noctis and Gladio are my absolute favorite characters!!!


End file.
